Wiggo Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 (edited) OK, so this cropped up on the frame swap thread, but I thought it might be worth putting in a separate thread. My car had most of the brightwork deleted some while ago, and being a Plodge, the chances of finding a Dodge hood ornament that would fit on a Plymouth hood was slim. I did, however, manage to find a correct 1941 Dodge one, but that was very short and clearly intended to join onto trim parts that weren't ever present on the Canadian Dodge. I also acquired a 1949 one, and that looked like a far better bet, but again was intended to connect to the long trim panel covering the central hood hinge. It would be fine, if only I could find a way to create a new end section for it... There is a lot of good info on HAMB about the joys of trying to weld, cast and replate potmetal, but as my emblem was not exactly show quality anyway, I figured I had nothing to lose. To start the process, I beat a sheet of aluminium to match the slope of the top of the hood ornament by laying it in the groove of a decking board and beating it with a brick bolster and a 2lb hammer. Quite satisfying. Next, I took a strip of aluminium and folded and beat it to the outline I wanted for my new end cap. Because this had to sit in the 'v' shaped plate, it needed a bit of surgery from the tin snips and a die grinder before it was a reasonably snug fit. Now the whole lot was assembled, with some copper wire used to to tighten the whole thing up, and the gaps round the outside sealed with modelling clay. The mould was filled with 1" lengths of plumbers' solder and then this was melted with a blowtorch. Once it had all cooled, the excess is easily trimmed away with a surform file, or any other tool that takes your fancy. Now, if I were doing this again, I might suggest the following: Use lead free solder initially. It has a very slightly higher melting point than lead/tin solder Use lead/tin solder to very carefully fill in any imperfections or voids Consider coating the hood ornament with flux to help adhesion. All a bit of an experiment, really, but it seems to work... Edited April 3, 2018 by Wiggo 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDoctor Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 Hey, Wiggo, Again, Thank You for this information. The graphics are fantastic. I don’t know how you did them, but they really look great, and help clarify your described procedure. Now, I’m really considering giving casting another go using your methodology. Warmest Regards . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 8 hours ago, Wiggo said: OK, so this cropped up on the frame swap thread, but I thought it might be worth putting in a separate thread. My car had most of the brightwork deleted some while ago, and being a Plodge, the chances of finding a Dodge hood ornament that would fit on a Plymouth hood was slim. I did, however, manage to find a correct 1941 Dodge one, but that was very short and clearly intended to join onto trim parts that weren't ever present on the Canadian Dodge. I also acquired a 1949 one, and that looked like a far better bet, but again was intended to connect to the long trim panel covering the central hood hinge. It would be fine, if only I could find a way to create a new end section for it... There is a lot of good info on HAMB about the joys of trying to weld, cast and replate potmetal, but as my emblem was not exactly show quality anyway, I figured I had nothing to lose. To start the process, I beat a sheet of aluminium to match the slope of the top of the hood ornament by laying it in the groove of a decking board and beating it with a brick bolster and a 2lb hammer. Quite satisfying. Next, I took a strip of aluminium and folded and beat it to the outline I wanted for my new end cap. Because this had to sit in the 'v' shaped plate, it needed a bit of surgery from the tin snips and a die grinder before it was a reasonably snug fit. Now the whole lot was assembled, with some copper wire used to to tighten the whole thing up, and the gaps round the outside sealed with modelling clay. The mould was filled with 1" lengths of plumbers' solder and then this was melted with a blowtorch. Once it had all cooled, the excess is easily trimmed away with a surform file, or any other tool that takes your fancy. Now, if I were doing this again, I might suggest the following: Use lead free solder initially. It has a very slightly higher melting point than lead/tin solder Use lead/tin solder to very carefully fill in any imperfections or voids Consider coating the hood ornament with flux to help adhesion. All a bit of an experiment, really, but it seems to work... Do you do graphic design professionally? If not,you could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggo Posted April 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 Thanks. I've done design, layout, typography, web design and teaching for 35 years. It's a passion, and if it helps folks, that's a bonus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 Wiggo............I'd also add casting one off & prototype parts to your resume...............looks good.........andyd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNR1957NYer Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 Very impressive - both the end product and the tutorial - thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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